ying their mouths deep in the earth, then piling the stores,
waggons, carriages, and baggage over them, he laid a train and fired
it, just as Sir John Lanier, with a body of cavalry, was arriving to
rescue the convoy. The explosion was tremendous, and was heard at the
camp of William, more than seven miles off. Sarsfield's troops
returned to Limerick in triumph.

Notwithstanding these grievous discouragements, William resolved to
persevere. He recovered two of the guns, which remained uninjured. He
obtained others from Waterford. The trenches were opened on the 17th
of August. A battery was raised below the fort to the right of the
trenches. Firing went on on both sides. Several redoubts were taken.
By the 25th, the trenches were advanced to within thirty paces of the
ditch near St. John's Gate, and a breach was made in the walls about
twelve yards wide.

The assault was ordered to take place on the 27th. The English
grenadiers took the lead, supported by a hundred French officers and
volunteers. The enemy were dislodged from the covered way and the two
forts which guarded the breach on each side. The assailants entered
the breach, but they were not sufficiently supported. The Irish
rallied. They returned to the charge, helped by the women, who pelted
the besiegers with stones, broken bottles, and such other missiles as
came readily to hand. A Brandenburg regiment having assailed and taken
the Black Battery, it was blown up by an explosion, which killed many
of the men. In fine, the assault was vigorously repulsed; and
William's troops retreated to the main body, with a loss of six
hundred men killed on the spot and as many mortally wounded.

Rapin was severely wounded. A musket shot hit him in the shoulder, and
completely disabled him. His brother Solomon was also wounded. His
younger brother fell dead by his side. They belonged to the "forlorn
hope," and were volunteers in the assault on the breach. Rapin was
raised to the rank of captain.

The siege of Limerick was at once raised. The heavy baggage and cannon
were sent away on the 30th of August, and the next day the army
decamped and marched towards Clonmel. The King intrusted the command
of his army to Lieutenant-General Ginckel, and set sail for England
from Duncannon Fort, near Waterford, on the 5th of September.

The campaign was not yet over. The Earl of Marlborough landed near
Cork with four thousand men. Reinforced by four thousand Danes and
French Hugu